Seat-signal system



Patented 0a. 3c, 1928.

' WILLIAM C. BU'RRELL, OF. KANKAKEE ILLI'NOIB.

SEAT-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Application filed May 18, 1925. Serial No. 28,887.

The invention relates to -seat signal systems for theatres, publichalls, moving picture auditoriums, and the like.

The system is especiallyadapted for use in halls where. a continuousperformance is being enacted, such as vaudeville, moving picture shows,and the like, and where the audience is continuously changing inpersonnel. Frequently the halls where such entertainments are inprogress are tilled, every seat being occupied by the audience. Suchmoving picture halls appear to be very dark to persons entering the halluntil their eyes become accustomed to the darkness. It is verydifiicult, if not impossible, for a person to locate a vacant seat whentheir vision is so defective and attendants in the foyer or lobby haveno means of knowing the location of the seats that have become vacated.

One of the objects is to provide an automatic signal system to indicateat a remote location the fact that a seat has been vacated.

Another object is to provide a system which will indicate in anannunciator located in the outside corridor or foyer of the hall thataseat that has been occupied by one of the audience has been vacated,and which willindicate at the end of the row of seats the particularseat of that row so that an incoming patron may go directly to the rowin which the vacated seat is contained and will then be adviseddefinitely'the designating number of said vacated seat. Another objectis the provision of an imroved circuit controlling switch operable partof y movement of the pivoted seat or a chair.

A further object is to rovide a guiding signal system or means orpatrons of an exhibition hall which by its use will do away with many,if not all of the ushers required- Figure 2 is an'enlarged sectionthrough' the seat of a chair showing in side elevation the circuitcloser operable by movement of the pivoted seat.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a chair showing parts thereof in section.

F gure 4 is a diagram of the circuits.

Figure '5 is an elevation of a casing for signal lamps attached to achair at the end of a row ofchairs.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a modified,

circuit.

In all of the views the same reference characters are employed toindicate similar parts.

In Figures 4 and 6, 10 represents one section of seats and 12 anothersection. 11 is an aisle between the two sections. Usually the rows ofseats are indicated alphabetically beginning with A and extending towardthe entrance, progressively. In Figure 4 I have shown rows A and B insections 10 and 12. I

In Figure 1, a seat is shown in elevation. The frame 15 of the seatconsists of two side members 16 and 16 and a rod 17 is employed to holdthe members together and upon which the seat is pivoted by brackets 19,as more clearly shown in Figure 2. Fixed to the rod 17 by a clamp member20, is a circuit closing structure 21 consist ing of the spring 22,which normally supports the seat 18 by a projection 23 'extendev ingfrom the bottom of the seat. The spring 22 forms one part of the circuitclosing switch which is connected by a wire 24, and is adapted tocontact at 25 to complete the circuit through the wire 26. Normally whenthe seat or chair is unoccupied the spring 22 is in electricalconnection with the contact 25, and the circuit is thereby closed.

en a person occupies the seat, the weight of the person causes theprojection 23 to move the spring 22 downwardly into-the dotted lineposition shown in Figure 2 and open the circuit.

Secured-to the frame 15 of the end chair each. compartment there may bea very small reflector. When the circuit breaking switch 21 is closed,by a. person vacating the seat,

the 1am 29 corres nding. to the vacated seat, wi be lighte in the casing2'3. The

casing may be so located that the light proceeding from the respectivecompartments will not have any material-eflect upon the illumination ofthe room and will not be annoying to the audience. The casin or thelampstherein may be sus ended om the wall or otherwise supporte near the end0 the rows of the seats. w

In Figure 4, the annunciator 32 may be placed in the outer corridor ofthe theatre, and lamps 33, corresponding with the lamps 29 located onthe endsseats of the rows of seats, will be lighted, at the same timethat the corresponding lamps in the row will be illuminated. This willindicate'to the at.- tendants in the outer corridor or foyer of thetheatrethat a seat has been vacated and it will also give him thelocality of that seat so that he may direct the patron about to enterthe theatre to where the vacant seat is located.

In Figure 4, the lamps 29 and 33 are in series, while in Figure 6 thelamps are arranged in parallel, as very clearly shown in the diagrams.

A battery 34 supplies current for the circuit.

Instead of having individual lamps A A A", etc. for example, on the endseats,

a single lamp ma be employed to simply indicate ther'ow of seats inwhich the vacant seat is contained, and the single lamp will be lightedwhen any one or more of the seats inthe row is-wacated. This is a verysimple modificatioif'and will easily be apparent to persons skilled inthe art. In the use of such a modification, it is also obvious that asingle lamp may beemployed in place of the annunciator to indicate tothe attendant in the corridor that a seat in the theatre or auditoriumhas become vacated, and the patron entering the auditorium will see at aglance the lamp which indicates the row in which the vacated seat iscontained.

circuits and ot -Figure 4, and in Figure 6, are so clear as to need nofurther explanation.

It is manifest that many changes may be madein the s ecific arrangementof parts, er features disclosed within the scope of the ap ended claims.

Having describe my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A circuit closer including a frame having a su porting clamp at oneend and a contact e ement at its oppositeend, and a yieldable contactmember anchored at one end in connection with the first mentioned end ofthe frame. and adapted toflex into and out of engagement at lts free endwith said contact element.

2. A circuit closer including a frame having a supporting clamp at oneend an a contact 0 ement at its opposite end, and a yieldable contactmember anchored at one end in connection with the first mentioned end ofthe frame and adapted to flex into and out of engagement at its free endwith said contact element, said contact element and said yieldablecontact member being insulated from the said frame.

3. In a circuit closer adapted to a pivoted chair seat having a crossrod forming the pivot thereof, said circuit closer consisting of a frameclamped at one end to said cross rod beneath the chair seat and providedat its opposite end with a contact element, a flat contact spring in theframe, one end of which is anchored to the clamped end of the WM. o.BURRELL.

